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Review on the Verizon Blackberry Storm 9530
- CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS
- 11 Replies
Honestly....you don't really need WiFi with VZ's fat EVDORevA pipe. Assuming you live in an area where their network is strong. 
I've heard thru the grapevine it's on the hardware but VZ has disabled it like usual. Maybe a software update in the future will enable? BTW...the next software up date .83 is "loose in the wild". We'll all have it soon enough.
I've heard thru the grapevine it's on the hardware but VZ has disabled it like usual. Maybe a software update in the future will enable? BTW...the next software up date .83 is "loose in the wild". We'll all have it soon enough.
Review on the Verizon Blackberry Storm 9530
- CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS
- 11 Replies
Nice work Alex! I think we both stole that tip from the Crackberry Forums. 
Love the cardboard click screen mod.
Honestly, I've had this device since the first day and I think its a revolutionary leap forward. The OS is *at least* 6 months to a year behind the hardware. Many people have complained and there have been some abysmal reviews.
The problem is that too many people want it to be like the iPhone-which is a Multi-media toy. Also the original OS that shipped (.65)just sucked. Major accelerometer lag, and memory leak. With the lastest OS from Bell Mobility(.76)everything is much better.
The 9530 is a pure business device with superb multi-media functionality mixed in. I have been tweaking it for a good while and have optimized it as well as the current OS will allow. I recently offered a post which turned into a lengthy thread on the Crackberry Storm forums titled "Dramatically Improve Your Storm in a Few Simple Steps". Its worthy of a read as there are a lot of useful tips from the entire community thrown in on optimizing the device. Feel free to hit me up to discuss improving it more.
Check out the thread here.
And Jeff, you should definitely buy the device when it comes out for T-Mobile.(And I can tell you how to get it to run on T-Mobile tomorrow if you want..
Happy Holidays to All!
Love the cardboard click screen mod.Honestly, I've had this device since the first day and I think its a revolutionary leap forward. The OS is *at least* 6 months to a year behind the hardware. Many people have complained and there have been some abysmal reviews.
The problem is that too many people want it to be like the iPhone-which is a Multi-media toy. Also the original OS that shipped (.65)just sucked. Major accelerometer lag, and memory leak. With the lastest OS from Bell Mobility(.76)everything is much better.
The 9530 is a pure business device with superb multi-media functionality mixed in. I have been tweaking it for a good while and have optimized it as well as the current OS will allow. I recently offered a post which turned into a lengthy thread on the Crackberry Storm forums titled "Dramatically Improve Your Storm in a Few Simple Steps". Its worthy of a read as there are a lot of useful tips from the entire community thrown in on optimizing the device. Feel free to hit me up to discuss improving it more.
Check out the thread here.
And Jeff, you should definitely buy the device when it comes out for T-Mobile.(And I can tell you how to get it to run on T-Mobile tomorrow if you want..
Happy Holidays to All!
Review on the Verizon Blackberry Storm 9530
- By Alex Snyder
- CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS
- 11 Replies
First off, sorry for disappearing from Dealer Refresh again - I was on another vacation....rough life, I know. I just got back Monday morning and thought I'd do a quick review on the Storm since it has now gone through its first firmware upgrade, and I've got some significant mileage on it.
There is a Verizon store about a mile from my house and I have to pass it to get to work, so I stopped by late on the release date to check it out. When I got there I found out I could grab a spot to get the phone on the second shipment of the day, so I bit. Later that day I got a call to drop everything and get to the store. After 3 unsuccessful attempts to get it programmed (Verizon's systems crashed numerous times) we finally got it right.
The Storm is a very well constructed phone. It has a weight to it that gives it the same kind of feel you get from a German car - just solid. When you turn the screen on, it is beautiful. There is so much screen real estate you almost get lost. It is filled with all the Blackberry goodness of intuitive navigation and simple buttons to move through apps easily.
Before the new firmware update, it was a little slow to respond to things and I found myself hitting buttons twice because I didn't think it was responding. Today it is much better.
The keyboard takes a lot of getting used to. Everyday I get better, but it will never be the same as the keyboard on the Curve or Bold. I like it much more than the keyboard on the iPhone though. There are 3 keyboard options: regular QWERTY, double-lettered SureType like the Pearl, and a numeric keyboard much like any regular phone. I find myself using the SureType keyboard more than anything else. I only use the QWERTY one if I need to type a word the SureType (fills in the words for you) doesn't like - usually cuss words (for emphasis of course). SureType has a tendency to replace a certain word with "ducking" every time and that is *ducking* annoying!
The phone is plenty loud - louder than the Curve and much better than the older Blackberry 8703e. BlueTooth is fantastic over an earpiece or through the car. Using BlueTooth sucks the battery out over a day of use, but when the BlueTooth is not on the battery lasts for days with heavy use. My biggest gripe with the phone is that there are 4 big buttons present: Speaker, Mute, Add Participant, and Flash. Because this is a touch screen you either have to pull up the numeric pad or be very careful not to rest your face on the screen or you're going to hit one of those buttons. My second biggest gripe with the phone is that you have to hit the call button twice in order to get to the phone - it is just annoying. When you hit the phone button it takes you straight to your contacts which is good for me about 40% of the time, but I also call people back about 40% of the time too and have to shift over, or the other 20% of the time I'm actually dialing a number. I can't tell you where I'd prefer the phone default to.
Where the Storm rocks is online. I have yet to find a website I can't visit in its full splendor. There are 3 browser settings that tell websites what type of device you are: Blackberry, Internet Explorer, or Firefox. If you find a website isn't loading quickly or is coming up in the mobile format, it is simple enough to flip between one of those three and hit refresh - works like a charm! The Verizon 3G network is fast. Yes, I would like Wi-Fi, but I'm not that impatient. I find my texts, emails, voicemails and any other messages coming to and from the Storm are happening much, much faster than on any other Blackberry I've ever owned.
When on a call, you cannot send and receive emails, but you can send and receive texts. I find this to be a blessing and a curse all in one. I'm too much of a multitasker to pay attention to anything. I'm always doing 3 or 4 things at the same time and think that not being able to respond to emails in a call helps me pay better attention (my girlfriend appreciates that), but there sure are a lot of boring business calls during the day where I'd love to be saying "uh huh" .... "yeah" ...."gotcha" ...."uh huh" while getting some emails done.
It works fantastically while roaming - even in Mexico....except in Mexican Customs where I really needed it to work (don't ask). I have yet to find a bad spot with this phone.
Some of the things I didn't cover, but am happy to answer in comments below:
There is a Verizon store about a mile from my house and I have to pass it to get to work, so I stopped by late on the release date to check it out. When I got there I found out I could grab a spot to get the phone on the second shipment of the day, so I bit. Later that day I got a call to drop everything and get to the store. After 3 unsuccessful attempts to get it programmed (Verizon's systems crashed numerous times) we finally got it right.
The Storm is a very well constructed phone. It has a weight to it that gives it the same kind of feel you get from a German car - just solid. When you turn the screen on, it is beautiful. There is so much screen real estate you almost get lost. It is filled with all the Blackberry goodness of intuitive navigation and simple buttons to move through apps easily.
Before the new firmware update, it was a little slow to respond to things and I found myself hitting buttons twice because I didn't think it was responding. Today it is much better.
The keyboard takes a lot of getting used to. Everyday I get better, but it will never be the same as the keyboard on the Curve or Bold. I like it much more than the keyboard on the iPhone though. There are 3 keyboard options: regular QWERTY, double-lettered SureType like the Pearl, and a numeric keyboard much like any regular phone. I find myself using the SureType keyboard more than anything else. I only use the QWERTY one if I need to type a word the SureType (fills in the words for you) doesn't like - usually cuss words (for emphasis of course). SureType has a tendency to replace a certain word with "ducking" every time and that is *ducking* annoying!
The phone is plenty loud - louder than the Curve and much better than the older Blackberry 8703e. BlueTooth is fantastic over an earpiece or through the car. Using BlueTooth sucks the battery out over a day of use, but when the BlueTooth is not on the battery lasts for days with heavy use. My biggest gripe with the phone is that there are 4 big buttons present: Speaker, Mute, Add Participant, and Flash. Because this is a touch screen you either have to pull up the numeric pad or be very careful not to rest your face on the screen or you're going to hit one of those buttons. My second biggest gripe with the phone is that you have to hit the call button twice in order to get to the phone - it is just annoying. When you hit the phone button it takes you straight to your contacts which is good for me about 40% of the time, but I also call people back about 40% of the time too and have to shift over, or the other 20% of the time I'm actually dialing a number. I can't tell you where I'd prefer the phone default to.
Where the Storm rocks is online. I have yet to find a website I can't visit in its full splendor. There are 3 browser settings that tell websites what type of device you are: Blackberry, Internet Explorer, or Firefox. If you find a website isn't loading quickly or is coming up in the mobile format, it is simple enough to flip between one of those three and hit refresh - works like a charm! The Verizon 3G network is fast. Yes, I would like Wi-Fi, but I'm not that impatient. I find my texts, emails, voicemails and any other messages coming to and from the Storm are happening much, much faster than on any other Blackberry I've ever owned.
When on a call, you cannot send and receive emails, but you can send and receive texts. I find this to be a blessing and a curse all in one. I'm too much of a multitasker to pay attention to anything. I'm always doing 3 or 4 things at the same time and think that not being able to respond to emails in a call helps me pay better attention (my girlfriend appreciates that), but there sure are a lot of boring business calls during the day where I'd love to be saying "uh huh" .... "yeah" ...."gotcha" ...."uh huh" while getting some emails done.
It works fantastically while roaming - even in Mexico....except in Mexican Customs where I really needed it to work (don't ask). I have yet to find a bad spot with this phone.
Some of the things I didn't cover, but am happy to answer in comments below:
- Visual Voicemail
Voice Dialing
Instant Messaging
Highlighting Text
3 MP Camera
Video Camera
Music/Video...media
Other Applications
Memory
Acclimater
Here only the strong survive.
- By Ralphe
- Off Topic & Everything Else
- 39 Replies
As one who has been in this great business for a few months I would like to add some thoughts:
There is no question that these are tough times. While some of us veterans can say that we have been through this before, we have not. Selling vehicles in the late 70’s and early 80’s was no picnic. Double digit inflation (we received price increases from the OEM’s every 4-6 weeks) and double digit interest rates (financing new vehicles at 16%--it would have been higher had the law allowed).
The greatest difference from those tough times and the ones we are going through now is the media and the Internet. Let me explain—not only has the Internet become the point of entry to the transaction for the vast majority, it also has hastened change. *Change in the marketplace based on news reports. *Change in consumer decisions based upon the media. *Rapid change in wholesale values based on consumer swings in what they are buying.
*Change in the marketplace based upon news reports: While print has deteriorated as the primary source of information for many, broadcast and the Internet have expanded. It is not long ago that you had 30 channels, much less 3 to choose from. Now we have hundreds. Many are devoted only to news and or finances. They say that bad news travel fast, and that has never been more factual than today.
*Change in consumer decisions based upon media: We have always tended to blame the media for our troubles. While this might be somewhat true, with more, easier and quicker access to news, it is making the consumers quicker to shy away from major decisions faster than ever before.
* Rapid change in wholesale values based on consumer swings in what they are buying: I have never seen or been aware of the flux in consumer buying and wholesale values. The swing has been mind boggling from SUV’s to Hybrids to SUV’s. Whew!
Now, all that gloom and doom stated, let’s look at the truths:
* “JD Power projected that the number of franchised dealers would drop from 22,000 to approximately 12,000 in ten years.” Of course that projection was published in 1980. THAT’S 1980! Has it happened—no. Could it—sure—and California could slide into the Pacific Ocean, too.
* “People are not buying cars.” Hmmm. While not as many are today, the reality is that a whole bunch are. And the good news is that the best MONTH of the year is around the corner—beginning on December 26 and ending on January 1.
*”The Internet has ruined the cars business.” Really. Or has it made the shopping process easier and quicker once the consumer enters the showroom?
*”I can’t make any gross because of the Internet.” Really. Taking orders or helping people buy?
The facts are that great salespeople are great in good times and tough times. The things that make them great are the tried and true basics. Tenacity, product knowledge, people knowledge, attitude, attitude and attitude. Ed Parkinson’s engraved message above is right on the money.
Good habits are learned in hard times. Bad ones creep in during good times.
I would like to add some thoughts:There is no question that these are tough times. While some of us veterans can say that we have been through this before, we have not. Selling vehicles in the late 70’s and early 80’s was no picnic. Double digit inflation (we received price increases from the OEM’s every 4-6 weeks) and double digit interest rates (financing new vehicles at 16%--it would have been higher had the law allowed).
The greatest difference from those tough times and the ones we are going through now is the media and the Internet. Let me explain—not only has the Internet become the point of entry to the transaction for the vast majority, it also has hastened change. *Change in the marketplace based on news reports. *Change in consumer decisions based upon the media. *Rapid change in wholesale values based on consumer swings in what they are buying.
*Change in the marketplace based upon news reports: While print has deteriorated as the primary source of information for many, broadcast and the Internet have expanded. It is not long ago that you had 30 channels, much less 3 to choose from. Now we have hundreds. Many are devoted only to news and or finances. They say that bad news travel fast, and that has never been more factual than today.
*Change in consumer decisions based upon media: We have always tended to blame the media for our troubles. While this might be somewhat true, with more, easier and quicker access to news, it is making the consumers quicker to shy away from major decisions faster than ever before.
* Rapid change in wholesale values based on consumer swings in what they are buying: I have never seen or been aware of the flux in consumer buying and wholesale values. The swing has been mind boggling from SUV’s to Hybrids to SUV’s. Whew!
Now, all that gloom and doom stated, let’s look at the truths:
* “JD Power projected that the number of franchised dealers would drop from 22,000 to approximately 12,000 in ten years.” Of course that projection was published in 1980. THAT’S 1980! Has it happened—no. Could it—sure—and California could slide into the Pacific Ocean, too.
* “People are not buying cars.” Hmmm. While not as many are today, the reality is that a whole bunch are. And the good news is that the best MONTH of the year is around the corner—beginning on December 26 and ending on January 1.
*”The Internet has ruined the cars business.” Really. Or has it made the shopping process easier and quicker once the consumer enters the showroom?
*”I can’t make any gross because of the Internet.” Really. Taking orders or helping people buy?
The facts are that great salespeople are great in good times and tough times. The things that make them great are the tried and true basics. Tenacity, product knowledge, people knowledge, attitude, attitude and attitude. Ed Parkinson’s engraved message above is right on the money.
Good habits are learned in hard times. Bad ones creep in during good times.